Congratulating Jan van der Winden on his Herman Klomp Prize for the protection of birds

Ede, the Netherlands - Wetlands International congratulates Jan van der Winden on his Herman Klomp prize for his long-term commitment to the protection of birds. In collaboration with Wetlands International, Jan was instrumental in the success of the Follow the Bird! initiative.

The Herman Klomp prize is presented every three years by BirdLife Netherlands (Vogelbescherming), Netherlands Ornithological Union (NOU) and SOVON to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the understanding and protection of birds. Jan received the award in recognition of his long-term studies on black terns, purple herons, bitterns and common terns, and the dedication and enthusiasm his brings to his research.

Jan served as the lead technical expert in the Follow the Bird! initiative, that equipped several Purple Herons with satellite transmitters to understand their migration between Europe and West Africa. The initiative demonstrated the importance of a network of healthy wetlands along the flyway and the functional role of these sites.

As part of the project, Jan and the staff of Wetlands International followed herons to Sierra Leone (photo right) as an ambassador for the birds. His work in the Boama and Waanje River helped the people of Sierra Leone understand and appreciate the importance of their local wetlands for global waterbird conservation.

Szabolcs Nagy of Wetlands International, who worked with Jan on Follow the Bird! added, “I worked with Jan throughout the entire migration season following the fate of a handful of Purple Herons from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds and I was truly amazed both by his technical skills and field craft. Jan’s satellite telemetry work helped enormously in informing our understanding of the ecology of migratory waterbirds. His efforts provided us with a wealth of stories to explain the importance of wetlands along the flyway to various levels of decision-makers, ranging from managers at multinational companies to village chiefs in Africa. He truly deserves this prize.”